http://newtelegraphonline.com/pdp-leaders-didnt-know-money-arms-fund-babatope/


Chief Ebenezer Babatope is a member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Minister of Transportation. In this interview with TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE, he speaks on anti-corruption war, the arms procurement scandal and the 2015 general elections


What is your take on the revelations over the arms procurement scandal involving the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd)?

We have not heard the true story on the matter. What we are hearing is what media is reporting. I am a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT) and most of the things the press is talking about now is very strange to me.

Nobody in his senses will open his hands and collect money from what is called Dasukigate. Every political party in the world has the responsibility to carter for itself in elections; that is to prepare itself for elections. So, I hope most of the things they are talking about are not things that are mixed up with political party organisations. Let me give you an example; I was a member of the South-West zone of Contact and Mobilisation Committee, which was headed by Chief Bode George.

Nobody told anyone of us that we were being given money from Dasukigate or whatever. I know Dasuki very well in terms of his name and the office he held but I have never came across Dasuki in terms of giving money or anything. And when we talk about Dasukigate, it is a terrible thing to hear. Bode George has given a right answer.

The Contact and Mobilisation Committee, which composed 18 members in each geo-political zone was inaugurated by former president and PDP leader, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja before the last general elections and nobody ever told us that he is sending money through Dasuki.

But Bode George said $30,000 was given to the committee

That must be. Even if it is not $30,000, it is not the N100 million they are talking about. N100 million to do what? If 18 people shared N100 million, each person will got about N5 million naira. It never happened. I have never in my life time held N5 million in my hand to say this is my own money.

So, apparently, I want to appeal to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Muhammadu Buhari, that much as the battle against corruption is something which must be supported by all reasonable people, they must ensure that they don’t reduce it to a ridiculous level of drawing people that have nothing to do with it into the matter. They should not drag innocent people into what they are doing.

Was money actually released to members of the committee?

If money was given to the party, it was for party organisation but not the N100 million they are talking about.

How much was actually released to the committee?

I don’t know. Bode George was the leader and I don’t know what was released. But on my own, I have never in my lifetime got anything in respect to the N100 million because if you share N100 million between 18 people, each person is expected to get over N5 million. I have never in my life time got that kind of money.

How much was actually shared by members of the committee from the arms fund?

I don’t know. I am not a member of the committee tackling Boko Haram. I am a member of the PDP and Contact and Mobilisation Committee of the party, so how do I know what is happening about somebody given money to people?

But the former Minister of State for Finance, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, said he released N100 million to the committee while Bode George said he collected only $30,000 on behalf of the committee. There was also an allegation that N10 billion was used to settle PDP delegates during the party’s convention and that money was released for special prayers and to fund the campaign...

I know money was released to the party but nobody mentioned that money was being released to the party from money meant for purchasing of arms and ammunition to fight Boko Haram. At 73, I will never collect money that I don’t know its source or collect money from somebody I don’t know; that I have never met.

I know Dasuki, but I never met Yuguda. And that is why I am saying, they must be careful not to mix up matters. I hope nobody is mixing up party organisation with what people now call Dasukigate. How does money meant for fighting Boko Haram relate to members of the political party?

But some PDP members like Attahiru Bafarawa, Raymond Dokpesi, Bode George, Tony Anenih, Jim Nwobodo, Peter Odili and Haliru Bello and others were mentioned as beneficiaries of the arms fund, and some of them have confirmed that they collected money.

Let them explain themselves. Did you know as a journalist that the money allegedly released was from arms money? Do you expect the PDP members to know that the money was released from arms fund? Newspapers were also alleged to have been given some money from the fund meant to purchase arms and ammunition.

The newspapers did not know where the money came from. So, these are mysteries for people to unravel. But in all these, they must never allow the innocent to suffer and they must never damage the image and character of innocent people.

I never knew that Dasuki was carrying that kind of money they are talking about. He was not a PDP member; he was an official of the PDP government but not a member of the PDP. He was a public officer who was expected to be fair to all.

Do you think it was right for the former NSA to release money for purposes that it was not meant for?

That is meant for those who are investigating the matter to unravel. Many people don’t know about the Dasukigate until the recent revelations by some officials of the Office of the National Security Adviser and government officials in previous administration.

If not for the fact that the PDP was defeated during the last general elections and some of the revelations are now coming out, nobody will talk about Dasukigate. I am not saying that there must not be systematic fight against corruption. There must be and that is why many Nigerians need to support Buhari in what he is doing but he must not cut down the green trees while the dry ones are still standing.

With the revelation from the arms probe, would you still stake your neck to defend the Jonathan administration on corruption?

Which administration in Nigeria has not been found to be corrupt since independence? It is just that the cases are different. If you talk about corruption, how does Dasukigate affect Jonathan’s administration? We are talking of individuals, who are accountable for their actions. Jonathan’s policies on housing and agric sectors were not disrupted because of Dasukigate. Corruption has been with us; we want to fight and lessen it, but to say that we want to eliminate it would amount to waste of time.

they thought GEJ had a tree that grows money in Aso rock...

know wat this country needs? a cup of coffee